


A Whole New World

by justkeeponwriting



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Castiel Plays the Piano, Fluff, M/M, Musical Instruments, Piano, and so does Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-10
Updated: 2014-04-10
Packaged: 2018-01-18 20:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1442500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justkeeponwriting/pseuds/justkeeponwriting
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You never told me you could play, Dean,” Castiel says when Dean plops down and caresses the keys.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Whole New World

“You never told me you could play, Dean,” Castiel says when Dean plops down and caresses the keys. The piano is old and possibly a little out of tune, because no one has played it in forever. With Castiel being away in college and none of his brothers bothering to continue their piano lessons after they turned approximately ten, the old Steinway has been left to gather dust, alone in the corner. Castiel regularly plays when he comes back home during holidays, but it’s always too little, and when Dean presses the keys, the piano whines like it knows it’s been abandoned for a long time.

“I used to,” Dean says, “Mom made me and Sammy both take lessons when we were like, seven. I stuck around longer than Sammy, though.”

Castiel honestly didn’t know Dean had ever even taken piano lessons, but it’s not a miracle the topic has never come up: they’re both engineering majors, sharing the same dorm room, and apart from general music discussions, there haven’t been any opportunities for either of them to find this common ground. Their studies and other interests simply lie elsewhere, and Dean never talks much about his childhood, in any case.

“Can you play something?” Dean asks, and Castiel startles.

“Me?”

“Duh. Any other people around here?”

“I haven’t played in a while, Dean,” Castiel says, but comes up to the piano nonetheless. He pulls up another chair as he goes, and places it next to Dean. “And I’m not sure the piano’s tuned, anyway.”

“Whatever. Just play something,” Dean grins.

“I can’t play without notes,” Castiel mumbles, and rummages the shelf next to the piano to find the sheets he wants. It’s unfortunate but true: he doesn’t have enough imagination to improvise, and he’s always been a bit too lazy to learn anything by heart.

“I never really learned to read ‘em.” Dean shrugs. “I can read notes, yeah, but I never bothered to learn them.”

“You play by ear?”

“Eh… what I can.”

“That’s impressive, Dean,” Castiel says, because it is. Castiel’s musical talents are limited to being able to read sheet notes and play as instructed. He remembers his teacher grieving that he didn’t _let the music talk_ or _put his heart in the music_ , and he’s always been envious of those who could just listen to a melody and then play it and _live it_.

Dean doesn’t say anything to Castiel’s praise, but Castiel doesn’t notice, because he’s trying to find the piece he wants to play. Usually, he’d frown and hammer into Dean’s thick skull that the praise is very much meant and Dean should accept it, but now, his attention is elsewhere.

“Chopin? Really?” Dean asks when Castiel puts up the notes.

“I like playing Chopin,” Castiel mutters, and Dean snorts something like, “of course you do,” but lets Castiel nudge closer to the keys and start playing. They’re pressed close together, with Castiel sitting on the left and Dean leaning a bit away from him so that Castiel can reach the upper keys, but it doesn’t cross either’s mind that Dean should just stand up and let Castiel take the proper chair. Instead, Dean lets Castiel press against his side as Castiel’s fingers slide up, up, up, before sliding down on the keys, making the dim room suddenly light up with the upbeat music.

Castiel plays a bit awkwardly, his fingers stiff from not playing in so long, but his eyes skate across the notes fast and he has no trouble finding the correct keys. Dean can’t help but admire how surely Cas plays: there’s a lighting-fast connection between his eyes and fingers, nothing like the sluggish movements Dean is reduced to when reading sheets.

“You play really well,” Dean says when Castiel finishes. Cas ducks his head like he always does when he’s embarrassed for the attention, and feeling mischievous, Dean nudges Cas with his shoulder. “I’m serious. Play something else!”

“I believe it’s your turn,” Cas just says with a smile.

“Give me something else that Chopin, man.”

Castiel hands Dean an old and tattered collection of Disney songs, and Dean snorts when he sees it, but accepts the book nonetheless. He picks “A Whole New World,” because that’s the one he can actually remember playing at some point. Dean hums the melody as he tries to find the keys, but it’s slow, because he has to count what note means what.

When he hits a chord he can’t instantly decipher, he mutters, “That’s, uh…”

“A,” Cas points, and Dean moves his fingers accordingly, “and that’s D, and…”

“I don’t get it,” Dean mutters, trying to remember what the song sounds in his head.

“Like this,” Cas says, and then he moves his fingers atop of Dean’s and moves them to the correct position. They both freeze; a heartbeat passes, and then Dean plays the correct chord. Castiel quickly removes his hand, and Dean continues to play, but the air is heavier between them. Dean’s not exactly sure what to make of it, but he knows that when he stumbles on the next part, he instantly glances at Cas.

Cas coughs. “That’s, um, E, and… I mean, um… You can probably find the keys on your own.”

“Not sure I can, Cas,” Dean cheekily notes. “C’mon, play with me.”

Cas looks at Dean, his eyes indefinitely deep and searching, and Dean feels something shift in the air. Cas places his fingers atop of Dean’s, and then they’re playing together in the most unconventional manner; Cas looking at the notes and reading them, Dean looking down at the keys and playing by the feel of the song and Cas’s instructions. It’s slow and the song doesn’t really sound that great, but Dean’s heart is beating too loudly for him to even notice that.

Castiel’s head is thudding with every note they play together; Dean’s fingers deft and warm underneath his, and the music flowing over them in a way that has nothing to do with how well they play. Castiel stumbles at some parts, but Dean’s fingers keep moving and never falter, and when Dean’s fingers slow down, Castiel presses them confidently down. When they reach the end of the page, they abruptly stop, because there’s no one to turn the page.

Castiel’s fingers start to shake atop of Dean’s, and unsure, he starts to pull them away. Instantly, Dean’s fingers shot up and slot between his, the warm pressure of them calming Castiel down. He looks at their entwined fingers, resting on the keys of the piano, and then turns his head to find Dean looking at him.

They stare at each other. Slowly, their faces start to inch closer to each other, until Dean is nosing Castiel’s cheek and Castiel only needs to turn his head a bit and then their lips are pressing together. It’s slow and searching but warm and increasingly confident, and they’re both lost in the moment for an indefinite amount of time. When they finally part, Castiel instantly pecks Dean’s lips again, and Dean bumps his nose against Cas’s and breaks into a smile.

“Cas,” Dean says. He’s smiling like he doesn’t know what to do with all the emotions, and Castiel answers the smile wholeheartedly.

“Dean,” Cas says, and after that, there’s nothing to say; they sit by the piano and let the silence do the talking.

**Author's Note:**

> This is also posted on my tumblr, [here.](http://justkeeponwriting.tumblr.com/post/81491407447/a-whole-new-world-you-never-told-me-you-could) Thank you for reading!


End file.
